For You
by paigee.yovkoff
Summary: "For the record, Nicholas Collins, I really wouldn't mind having your child." - est. McCollins throughout. Sequel to SIX MONTHS and EVERYTHING ELSE. AU 4x11/12/13.
1. Chapter 1

**For You.  
Words: **823 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x11.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

Moving from the bathroom back into the bedroom, Andy is manoeuvring her way through boxes of random bathroom clutter and towels. It had barely taken a week for both of their apartments to be sorted through and packed, many items being tossed out or sold as to not fill the house with duplicates of unnecessary items. But the process of actually moving into the house and unpacking was taking much longer than that.

All of the necessities were set up, they'd decided on taking the larger room that was upstairs, and had put his bed in there, hers downstairs. Dressers were put back together in their chosen bedroom, and the kitchen boxes unpacked. And even through the mess of moving boxes and newspaper pages scrunched and left lying around in places, Andy adored every inch of the house.

Everything from its crème coloured walls, to the polished floorboards. The slight creak in the staircase, the stained-black kitchen countertops and the concrete back-yard patio. It wasn't really theirs, buying a house this early in a relationship so incredibly stupid. But there was no possibility of either of them having regrets about going into this, the matter of the fact being that life had simply gotten in the way.

Nick was assigned to Traci Nash's operation, and was working nights doing surveillance and not coming home until the early hours of the morning. To make up for the short-staffing the operation was doing to 15, many of their officers, Andy included, were pulling double shifts throughout the week to keep numbers up. If Andy McNally hadn't been living on coffee before this, she most definitely was now.

Stopping short of the bed, she eyes the man lying there on his stomach appreciatively. That man, for all intents and purposes, was _hers_ , and that thought alone was enough to bring a smile to her face. He loved her, oh God, did he love her. It was the kind of love that left her breathless and weak at the knees at times, and it was everything she needed.

Andy shakes her head, moving to the bed and crawling up and over him. Stopping, her palms pressed against the mattress on either side of him, she lowers her head to whisper a greeting in his ear and press a kiss to his neck.

"Come on, get up," she encourages him.  
"No."  
"Yes, come on. It's 8 o'clock."  
Nick groans, burying his face into the pillow, "No, no, you have to go away, you have to take your horrible talky, talking mouth away me."

Having moved to kneeling beside him, Andy shrugs, pulling her still wet hair together in her hands and leaning over his back. Ringing her hair out of him, she laughs as he pushes himself up in shock. Climbing over him, and hopping off the bed, Andy looks over her shoulder and watches him rearrange himself on the bed so he's facing her on his side comfortably.

"What time did you get in last night?" she asks, picking up the hairbrush of the dresser and watching him in the mirror.  
"You don't remember?"  
"Oh I remember. Quite vividly," Andy assures him, pulling the brush through her hair, "I just don't remember what time it was."  
Moving, Nick looks away to the drawn blinds and squints, before turning back to her, "two-thirty, or three. Operation ran a bit late."

Puling the brush through her hair a few more times, trying to move it all to one side, Andy meets his eyes in the mirror and frowns at him. The distant look in his eyes as he stares at her usually means trouble, trouble that generally makes them late for work.

"What?"  
"Nothing."  
Andy turns to him, "Seriously Nick, what's that look for?"  
"No reason, I'm just happy I guess."

Her frown deepens, and he only chuckles at her as she starts to walk towards the bed.

"This is a first for me, not jumping head first into something serious," he explains, his hands moving to hold her waist as she sits down on the side of the bed, "And going the way we have has done us pretty well, I think."  
"Nick. You were engaged."  
"And at some point so were you," Nick reminds her with a smile, hand moving to release the hairbrush from her fingers, "But I certainly jumped straight into that relationship with Gail, and I hear you were no better."

Andy laughs, shaking her head slightly with a smile, because there is no way she can argue with that truth.

"I don't totally hate it, as a matter of fact."  
She scoffs, "Is that so?"  
"100 percent truth, Officer McNally," he tells her, his tone going from playful to serious, and a hand reaching up to play with the ends of her wet hair.  
"Good."

He smiles at her, and it's contagious. She loves this man, oh God, does she love this man.

…

 _We're going to try for an update every Monday. And should I stray, I'm sorry (in advance)_

 _Just the heads up, I feel like after the end of this particular piece, this saga we've had may be over. Simply because while I would enjoy it immensely, I do not at this point in time have the motivation or strength to rewrite the entire season 5/6 stuff, and after I finish writing this story it may just be the odd one-shot every once in a while until life calms down. I have some stuff on hold and I never get the chance to sit down and write for them because I'm constantly starting new things, so I need to get life back on track, then revisit the old half-written, left abandoned pieces of work before I try my hand at another multi-chapter._

 _So when this finishes in say 10 or so weeks, this may be it for this little relationship we have McCollins family. I shall make the end as good as I can c:_

 _I'm going to say, having almost finished writing this story, I am quite happy to leave the way it is. I actually adore some of the little titbits I have written in this one. I'm pree excited to unleash them on the world, if I must say so._

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	2. Chapter 2

**For You.  
Words: **818 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x11.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

Nick knows that the moment Chloe Price turns to him and points out that he shaved this morning, things were going to go south for him. If there was ever a thing he could count on, it was Chloe Price's insistent babbling being a bad omen about 85 percent of the time.

"What's your point?" he asks, knowing that he's stepping into a trap.  
Chloe purses her lips, looks out the car window conspicuously and darts her eyes back at him, "Dov didn't shave. Do you want to know why though?"  
"Because he hasn't hit puberty?" Nick attempts, only being able to smile when she hits him in the arm in response.  
"No because he's in a steady relationship," Chloe explains, "Usually guys in these types of situations shave because they're in a new relationship. But you, Officer Collins are not in a new relationship. So why?"  
"Going for detective, are you Chloe?"

The officer beside him groans, his attempt at dodging the conversation not going to pass in this instance.

"You haven't shaved at all, this entire sting. But today you shaved. Why?"  
"Maybe it's for my own personal preference," he suggests, "Maybe I just don't like having stubble."  
"Gross. Narcissist."

Nick chuckles, and Chloe goes quiet. When she does, Nick feels the glimmer of hope that maybe it means she's dropped the subject.

"Are you meeting Andy's parents tonight or something?"  
Leaning his head back against the headrest, Nick sighs, "I've already met them."  
"Fancy dinner tonight?"  
"No Chloe."  
"I got it!" she exclaims, turning back to him with wide-eyes and a large smile, "You're going to propose to her after work."  
"Of course not!"

He lifts his head, looking at her as though she's grown a second one of her own, trying to understand where all of her crazy ideas were coming from.

"What, the idea of marrying the women you've been with for 10 months unappealing to you Collins," Prices nudges him, smirk growing on her face.  
"We've been together for seven, not ten," he corrects her, looking away with a shrug, "And it's not exactly something we've talked about so I'm not going to spring something like that on her."  
"So you've thought about it."  
"We are not talking about this Price."  
"You've so thought about it."

Nick shakes his head, turning back to her and meeting her eyes as she narrows them. She stares at him for a long moment, makes an off-hand comment about playing poker, and turns away with a knowing smile. And that was enough to assure Nick that this time her babbling was most definitely a bad omen indeed.

…

Oliver Shaw was absolutely certain that should Andy McNally smile anymore, her face would split in half. It had been non-stop for the last half-hour, and in the silence of the squad car it was a terrifying thing. His marriage had taught him that there was nothing scarier than a woman sitting in silence and smiling to herself.

"You going to be like this all day, or what?" he asks her, slowing the squad car down and indicating to turn.  
"Like what?"  
"What like? These waves of happiness," Oliver explains, making what he's deemed the necessary motions with his hand before turning, "It's kind of making my teeth ache."  
Andy shrugs at him, looking away, "I'm just in a really good place right now."  
"You see, now that's why people don't like happy people. It's just, ' _in a good place_ ', I just don't know what that means," he says as he checks the rear-view mirror and over his shoulder slightly, "Are you in a pastry shop? Or are you in a hot tub? Where are you?"  
"Just feel really centred," Andy counters.  
"Oh stop it."  
"I'm really valuing my me-time."

Oliver makes a noise, cringing and shaking his head at his rookie, who can only laugh at him in response. He looks at her and the smile is still there, and this morning the laugh is contagious.

"See now, you think you're joking," he states, "You think you're joking, but you're not joking. Those words come so easy to you."

The officer beside him lets out another laugh, and when she stops the car goes quiet again.

"But seriously Andy," Oliver starts, stopping at red-light and looking over at her, "Things are good, yeah?"  
Andy turns to him and nods, "They really are Oli."  
"With Nick? Moving house and everything? That's all good."  
"Oliver, everything is great," she assures him, a light smile on her lips that stays even as the radio comes to life and she takes it from its place to respond.

He's flicked the lights and the siren, and is preparing to change lanes, when he looks over at her and that smile and hopes to some higher-being that there will never come a day where he has to make an example of Nick Collins.

…


	3. Chapter 3

**For You.  
Words: **745 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x11.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

It was mess. She was a mess. Everything about the situation was a mess. And there was nothing Andy could do about it. She'd put herself here, she could lose her career for this. There was no way to take control of what was occurring now. No way out of it this time.

 _What would Nick say?_

It hit her like a tonne of bricks. A sob ripped through her chest with realisation that he would know something was going on. She'd pulled Sam away from the same operation that he was currently on, there was no way for him not to know that something had happened. There were no secrets, there were never secrets with them. But this? This wasn't her secret to tell. It had _never_ been her secret to tell.

Her hands fumbled, searching for her phone on the other seat, fingers scrambling over keys to search for his phone number. He could tell her she screwed up later, right now she just needed him.

" _You've reached Nick Collins, leave a message after this_."

She hangs up and throws the phone back down. Oliver is probably mad at her for leaving him behind at the crime scene. He could write her up for this, leaving him alone, taking the squad car with her without telling him where she was going. She wouldn't be surprised either, he would have every right to.

As though the man's ears were burning, his name lights up her phone, and all she can do is watch it until the screen turns off, knowing that she's too far gone right now for that conversation.

…

Sitting on the bench in the locker room, Andy doesn't need to look up to know that the man standing in front of her was Nick Collins.

"Uh, heard you had a big day," she prompts, looking up from her hands and not meeting his eyes.  
"Yeah, definitely got the heart rate up that's for sure," he tells her, "What about you?"

Andy looks back at her hands, fidgets with her fingers for a moment before telling him that it was uneventful.

"Just canvassing all day," Andy decides on after hesitation, "Uh, I just gotta get changed and then we can go join the others."  
"How about a change of plans?" Nick asks, catching her gaze and giving a timid smile, "Try something new?"  
Frowning, Andy nods slowly, "Sure, um, I can meet you at the truck?"

Nick's smile becomes stronger, just a bit, and he tucks his hands into his jacket pockets before leaving her there.

She lied, and it's eating at her. It wasn't a very strong one, but the moment he took a step away from her, the small lie starting eating away at her and she's struggling to keep it together.

…

Nick leans against the passenger door and waits, and watching Andy leave the station and walk straight into Sam Swarek he starts to feel a sense of déjà vu. Andy's face is hard, lips thinning and eyes cold. He's known since Traci said that Sam had an "Andy-thing" that something had happened, and the woman's poor attempt at lying to him in the locker room had only cemented that fact. This, however, topped it all off.

From where he's standing, he can't hear what they're saying, but watching her try to walk past him and be stopped, he knows that this was more than 'nothing'. He'd had doubts, at times, knowing that what had gone on between the detective and his girlfriend had been incredibly serious. Serious enough for her to take up and go away undercover to escape it, and in doing so, beginning a relationship with another man. With him.

Nick wasn't the jealous type, not really, but there had always been times when he'd been sure that it wasn't over between them, and had simply prayed that he was wrong. But despite it, she came home to him, and told him that she loved him, and showed it to him as well.

He's pulled from the drifting thoughts when her hands settle on his waist and she leans up and kisses him.

"Everything alright?" he asks softly, hand cupping her cheek and watching her carefully.  
"I had a really terrible day today," Andy tells him, "Can I tell you about it?"  
Nodding, he presses a kiss to her forehead, and manoeuvres the passenger door open behind him, helping her in, "Let's go home McNally."

…

 _I do apologise. But I do have good reasons for not posting for over a month._

 _So to make up for it? Double post! And seeing as I'm heading to Gippsland tomorrow – yay, Grandma's home cooking, yush – I'll be sure to attempt updates throughout the week, because keeping a routine obviously does not work for me…_

 _See you in the next chapter!_


	4. Chapter 4

**For You.  
Words: **546 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x12.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

"I suppose you think I need more practice?"

This woman was going to be the cause of Nick Collin's death. Comparing sex to running 5 miles, stark naked in their bed, in their house, with that cheeky smirk that he swears she knows is enough to make him jump straight back into bed with her. There was no way that she didn't know what she was doing to him.

"Well, I'm a very good training partner," he muses.  
"You're alright," she decides, tongue between her teeth.  
"Yeah I'm alright."

She's letting out a breathless laugh, and he can't not kiss her again. Her body moving against his as she starts to shake her head and pull away, trying to tell him they'll be late for work.

"Andy, you've been an hour early every shift for the last two weeks."  
"It's a pretty good idea considering."  
Nick sits up, watching her dress, "You were protecting a fellow officer. Who is innocent."  
"Yeah, and then I faked the log entry," she reminds him, turning around and looking at him, "Do you have any idea how bad that is?"

He knows exactly how bad it is, and he knew exactly what it could do to her career. But even then, he was sure that any of their fellow officers, if in the same position may not think twice about doing the same. Many of them would do much worse to protect another officer.

"Look, I don't want to be the kind of police that just makes things up as they go, you know. Choosing which rules apply and which ones don't."  
"So you're going to play it by the book?" he questions.  
"Yeah, I am."  
"New you?"  
Andy stops, and he can practically see the cogs moving as she thinks it over, "Actually, it's the old me. Just got distracted," she stands up and faces him, "I'm not going to get distracted anymore."

Nick smiles, not being subtle in the way his eyes scan over her appreciatively. New or old Andy aside, she was still doing things to him with just a simple look.

"No?"  
"No."  
"Are you sure?" Nick asks her, sitting up taller and leaning towards her as she sits back down facing away from him, "Because there are plenty of distractions out there."  
"I'm sure."  
Moving her hair away from her neck, he presses his lips to her skin, "That's amazing. Because it would be completely normal," he murmurs, trailing kisses over her shoulder, "To be distracted."

His actions continue for a moment, a sound of agreement leaving her before she tells him he could be right. Nick smiles into her skin, just as the woman in front of him quickly throws her elbow back into his stomach, moving away from him and turning to push him back into the bed. Her knees on both sides of his waist and her hands pressing his shoulders back into the bed, her face lights up with a smug smile.

"I am completely. 100 percent. Focussed."  
"Oh yeah?" he gestures somewhere in the room, "Look at that."

Making to roll them over, he's pushed back into the bed and her knees pull together to hold his waist still. She gives him an affirmative answer and leans down towards him.

…

 _And hello!_

 _Like I said, I'll try to be back here tomorrow, but car trips make me sleep._

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	5. Chapter 5

**For You.  
Words: **1006 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x12.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

"So how long have you and Nick actually been doing it?"

Andy blanches, a part of her struggling to process what had just been said. It could never be said that Chloe Price had ever been subtle. The woman hit the nail on the head and dove straight into it.

"I mean, I know it's been what, 7 months? But even before you two went away you were all really close and stuff," Chloe continues, gesturing wildly as she does, "And there's something different now. You're glowing. Like. Actually glowing. And Nick looks like he's accomplished something amazing."  
Andy takes a deep breath, choosing her words wisely, "Well, we did just move in together."  
"But something else is different. Maybe I asked the wrong question."  
"Maybe you just shouldn't ask Price."

Chloe hushes her, holding a hand up in her direction and squinting her eyes. Andy can only sigh, keeping her eyes on the road in hopes that maybe she'll drop the topic. If there was one thing she was not prepared for, it was the rollercoaster of Chloe Price trying to determine invisible changes in her relationship.

"He didn't propose, did he?"  
"Nope."  
"You're pregnant then, aren't you?"

The comment stops Andy, and she hesitates. There wasn't a possibility, there couldn't be, but they'd been so busy lately that she hadn't actually stopped to think about it. They hadn't stopped in the last 7 months to actually discuss this sort of thing. What would happen if one day she did fall pregnant? Would he want that? Anxiety creeped up on her, and she had to take a shuddering breath to calm it back down again.

"Andy?"  
"Uh, no," she says slowly, "Nope, not pregnant."  
Chloe Price frowns at her, dropping her hand to her lap, "You don't sound so sure."  
"I'm sure Chloe. Absolutely sure that I am indeed not pregnant."

She was sure of it. She would repeat to herself internally. There was no way, and it wasn't possible. But the what if still crept up on her, and its insistent nagging was of the capacity to rival Chloe Price's. If that was even possible.

…

Leaning on the cruiser, Andy finally found time to try and stop shaking. She felt her hands being pulled away from her chest and two others held them tightly together. Nick Collin's voice, ensuring her that it was all okay had her taking deep breaths and closing her eyes.

"I didn't even know it was a gunshot," she told him.  
"You did the right thing," he assured her, "Andy you got her to safety."  
"I couldn't even get her to stop talking."  
He had let go of her hands and cupped her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him, "You did everything right, you got her out of the line of fire."  
"Maybe I should go with her to the hospital," Andy whispered, "Go make sure she's okay."

He's shaking his head and moving to press a kiss to her forehead. She's still muttering to herself about going to the hospital when he kisses the tip of her nose and lowers himself so she's looking him in the eyes.

"They will tell us if we need to be there," he says slowly, "You still need to have someone take your statement, and that's going to take a while."  
Andy nods, taking another deep breath and steadying herself, "Chloe was asking me if I was pregnant."

Andy watches him process her words, and feels that she's put him in exactly the same position that Chloe had her in earlier. Trying to process the question before trying to figure out the possibility of it being true.

"She said I was glowing," Andy smiled, "And that you apparently looked very accomplished."  
"Well I did just get you to move in with me, didn't I?" he smiles.  
"And that is exactly what I told her."  
He chuckles, swiping his thumb underneath her eye before pulling away from her, "And what did Officer Price say to that, hm?"  
"That I didn't sound so sure about it."

He nods, his hands moving to her shoulders and slowly making their way down her arms. She knows exactly what he's doing, and she won't call him out on his not subtle attempts to check her over for any wounds.

"I'm not," she tells him, "I'm sure of it. But I know we hadn't talked about it, and I figured we should. But this most definitely is not the time or the place."  
"Definitely not," Nick murmurs, stopping just under her right elbow and moving his hand to pull that side of her jacket forward, "Shit, Andy, you were shot."

Her eyes widen and she looks down at his hands, watching him pull her jacket out of the way to examine the bullet lodged in the side of her vest. It was so close to the edge, it could have missed if only a few inches lower.

"It must have happened when I was dragging Chloe."  
"Andy do you have any idea how lucky you are?" he asks.  
"I didn't even know. I just-"  
"Just another couple of inches-"  
She shakes her head, looking up at him and cutting him off, "Okay. Okay. I am fine."  
"You need to report this."  
"Nick, it's a tear in some fabric!" she whisper shouts at him, "If I do that I'm going to be hung up on paperwork and I'm not going to be able to help anybody!"  
"Andy, this is evidence. We need everything we can get on this guy. He's still out there."

She wants nothing more than to argue with him. All she wants to do is find this guy, be on the streets and searching, but he was right. The damn bastard was always right. Slowly, Andy nods, gripping one of his hands and pulling it up to her cheek just for a moment.

"Go give your statement," Nick smiles, "I'll drive you back to the station after and you'll talk to Best, okay?"  
"Okay."

…

 _Okay?_

 _Okay._

 _That was completely unintentional. I promise._

 _And yes, it's not Monday. But, it's closer to Monday than I got with my last two updates, so I think I'm doing pretty well._

 _I've officially finished writing this, ending up with 9 chapters, so four more to go after this I suppose._

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	6. Chapter 6

**For You.  
Words: **1039 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x12.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

Chris Diaz had taken the marker from him, and sat down on a bench a few feet away. Watching him take a deep breath and put the marker against the vest, Nick found himself hoping he was right. _No one else was going to get hurt today_. The day had been long and exhausting, and all he wanted to do was go home and sit with Andy on the couch and eat take-out. But he wasn't going to get his wish, he already knew that.

Without looking at the writing on his vest again, Nick slipped it on over his shoulders and started to strap it back up again as he walked. Picking his jacket up from where he left it on the table near the entrance, he shrugged it on as he walked out, finding Andy McNally waiting for him.

"Quartermaster gave you a snappy new jacket?" he asked her, gesturing for them to start walking.  
"Yeah, perks of getting shot I guess."  
"Looks good on you."

He glances at her as she opens her mouth to reply, the both of them stopped by Frank Best calling out to the female officer.

"You're in for the rest of the shift," their staff-sergeant tells her, "So check in with the D's, see what they need."  
"Sir, you just said you need every uniform officer on the streets," Andy argues.  
"I read the report, you took a bullet today, which means that you do not go out today. Brass' orders, okay?"  
"It just grazed my jacket, okay, I am fine."  
Frank shrugs, gesturing to himself before continuing, "Not my call. You're off patrol until we catch this guy, understood?"

Nick watches her nod, murmur the formalities with a resigned look and let out a deep breath.

"I guess the new-old-you is going to be back for a while," he tells her, going to move around her.  
Her hand goes to his arm, stopping him, "Nick. Please be careful."  
"I will be."

She raises herself up on her toes, a hand lifted to his cheek and meeting him halfway for a kiss. He drops a hand to her waist, just to keep her closer for a moment longer, to assure himself that she was still there.

Nick looks down when they pull away, taking a breath before looking up to meet her eyes, "I'll see you tonight. I promise."  
"I love you," Andy tells him slowly, voice barely a whisper.  
He nods, tugging on her hand and leaning to kiss her again, "I love you too, and I will see you later. Okay."

She smiles softly, and he doesn't let go of her hand until he's taken a step away from her. And he wants nothing more than to keep that promise, and knowing that she's tucked away safely in the precinct lifts a heavy feeling of worry off of his chest.

…

"You told Nick what happened," Sam says once they're on the road, "Do you know how stupid that is?"  
"I can't imagine it's stupider than me going and forging a log entry, huh?"

Andy can't believe him, getting angry at her for telling Nick, when he knows what the entire thing is doing to her.

"Right, so you went and told your live-in boyfriend, and risked him going and telling someone you did it and ending all of our careers."  
"I know this is hard for you to believe Swarek, but I am in a relationship with a man that cares about the things that are troubling me," she snaps, turning to him with a glare, "A man who understands my motives behind not telling anyone about Marlo in the first place. A man who, for all intents and purposes, has made sure he is trying his hardest to be honest and truthful with me. A man who picked me up from my lowest and pulled me out of the dark, where I'm pretty sure it was you who left me there. So you do _not_ get to play that card with me."

His knuckles are white on the steering wheel, and she knows he's driving at a speed that even with sirens on it could be inexcusable.

"Pull your head out of your ass detective, because he's trying to help and berating me for telling him is not winning you any brownie points."

He stays quiet, and she's almost ecstatic that he doesn't try to continue the argument with her, because that is something she most certainly couldn't handle. The squad car stays silent, and Andy tries to even her breathing, taking deep breaths that hitch when her phone rings.

Looking at the caller ID, Andy answers it and puts it on speaker phone, "Hey."  
" _Andy it's me. I'm at Marlo's place, she's not here but someone broke in and tore the entire place a part._ "  
"It's got to be Ford."  
" _Look, I should call this in, wait for the detectives to get here, but_."  
Andy frowns, "Nick, what?"  
" _Andy, Ford shot at police. Once they get here they're going to tear Marlo's house, and probably her entire life a part._ "

She meets Sam's eyes across the console, and hopes he's putting as much thought into the consequences as they were. He looks away and she watches him clench his jaw before nodding. Andy gives Nick the go ahead and takes a few deep breaths as Nick says goodbye and hangs up.

"It's just a matter of time before everything comes out," Andy tells Sam.  
"We'll deal with that when and if it happens," Sam states, glancing at the rear-view mirror, "Right now we've just got to make sure everyone is safe."  
"I mean, even if he's after Marlo. There's no way he can know that she's staying at her sister's, right?"  
The detective beside her hesitates, and she almost considers asking again when he talks, "She left a note."  
"Where?"  
"She left a note for the neighbour who is taking care of her place, it had her contact information. If he saw it he'd know where to find her."

And with that, Andy can only pray that Marlo answers her phone this time around, because they certainly had nothing else going for them at the moment.

…

 _This is a "I'm meant to be studying for last English assessment next week but for the life of me can't sit still long enough to read another chapter of the text" update._

 _Shit's getting real my friends, and we're three away from the end! You'll see the next part in the next couple of days or depending on my procrastination abilities tomorrow, because God knows I'll get nothing done on the way home tomorrow._

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	7. Chapter 7

**For You.  
Words: **482 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x13.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

With Marlo Cruz sitting safely in the back of the squad car, Andy can only try her best to keep tuned into the conversation. The day was dragging down on her, and the adrenaline from earlier was finally wearing off and exhaustion was settling in. Hearing her phone chime and seeing Nick Collin's name on the caller ID somehow brought some semblance of a smile to her face.

" _You're not going to like it_ ," was his greeting, and she knew it could only go downhill from there.  
"I can't stand it when you open with that, _don't_ open with that."  
"McNally," Sam's voice came from beside her.  
Looking at him and somehow revelling in his annoyance, Andy fought the urge to roll her eyes, "Hit me."  
" _I'm in Marlo's basement, it's all Kevin Ford. Maps, photographs, notes, charts, it's_ ," Nick sighed " _It's crazy. Andy she must have been following this guy for weeks. Look, no one's seen it yet. I'm still waiting on Oliver._ "  
"Okay," Andy hesitated, "Just keep me posted?"  
" _Of course_."

Hanging up, Andy didn't glance at Sam as he turned to her and asked what had happened. Moving so she was facing Marlo, Andy felt a sense of defeat creeping up inside her.

"Marlo, I think we need to talk about what's in your basement."

…

Andy meets Nick and Marlo halfway, and neither say a word when she stops Nick and gestures for Marlo to keep going. Even with Marlo out of ear-shot, Andy can't say a thing in fear of breaking down where she stood.

"So I take it we made Ford's list," Nick murmurs, leaning against the wall and resting a hand on her lower back, rubbing his thumb is small circles, "And I guess that means that we're stuck here until this is over."  
"We shouldn't be."  
"It's logical Andy."

She shrugs, taking deep breaths and moving to brace herself against the wall. His hand moves up her back to the nape of her neck, playing with the hairs that had escaped from her ponytail throughout the day.

"When this is over," he whispers, eyes flicking around the emptying hall before stopping to meet hers as she turns her head against the wall to look at him, "We are going to sit down and have that talk you instigated earlier."  
"Can we sleep first?" Andy questions quietly.  
"Of course, absolutely," he tells her, "We can sleep, then do whatever you want, and if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to."  
"Okay."

He smiles, taking a step back as she straightens herself up. Andy runs her hand down her face, a vain attempt to put some sort of colour back into her face.

"Let's go face the lion's den," she smiles tight lipped, and like with any of her crazy ideas, he follows her back to the parade room.

Every single time.

…

 _Oh my it's a Monday! That must mean I'm procrastinating and probably have something really important to do!_

 _I do actually. That's why I'm updating! #99atar #sogettingintouni_

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	8. Chapter 8

**For You.  
Words: **576 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU 4x13.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

Andy supposes that Sam Swarek should thank Kevin Ford for parking Oliver's squad car right next to the door, because if she hadn't have discovered it she would be in the process of tearing him apart. She was happy. She was so very happy, and he decides that he wants to drop a bombshell like that? If the detective thought that if by any miracle after all of this ends she still isn't looking forward to ripping into him for his stupidity, he'd deserve it.

But working her way through the squad room, cellphone to her ear and trying to get into contact with Nick Collins found that desire lessoning with every bit the anxiety and worry grew. Her eyes scan over the room again when she spots him, Kevin Ford making his way towards the parade room and everything kicks into overdrive.

She feels like she can't breathe, moving down the stairs towards him as quickly as possible, and watching Kevin Ford take aim at the man as he walks out of the parade room. His name barely comes out of her mouth and she feels like she's choking on it when she hears a shot ring out. Another follows it as she draws her weapon and stops to fire.

Then, everything goes quiet.

She can feel her heart in her throat, the rushed beating being the only thing to drown out the ringing in her ears. Finally being able to stop, she finds Kevin Ford on the ground and Nick only a few feet from him. The ex-soldier's attempts at sitting up are enough to bring her back and have her holster her weapon to move towards him.

"Nick, hey, hey," she says, dropping to her knees beside him and pushing him back gently, "You gotta stay still."  
"It only got my vest, I'm fine."  
"No you're not," Andy breathes, successfully pushing him back to the floor and moving to inspect his vest, "You've probably got a cracked rib, you really have to stay still. Please."

Nick nods slowly, grimacing in pain as he takes and inward breath. She feels his hand gripping her forearm tighter with each passing breath, and takes a moment to look around them. Officers are crowding Kevin Ford, radioing in squad cars, making phonecalls to emergency services. She finds Sam Swarek crouched beside him searching for a pulse and shaking his head to a fellow officer.

"Is he dead?" Nick asks, bringing her attention back to him.  
"Yeah Nick, he's dead."

…

She finds him sitting in the D's office, sitting in a desk chair as an EMT checked his ribs. Not offering another glance to the SIU officer who was dismissing her, Andy made her way through the thinning crowd of police officers and stopped at the bottom of the stairs as she watches Luke Callaghan approach him.

"Luke's going to take his statement," Traci tells her, coming up beside her quietly, "I already told Nick to meet us at the hospital when he's done."  
"Oliver?"  
"Hospital, dehydrated and in a lot of pain, but he's okay."

Andy nods slowly, meeting Nick's eyes when he looks up. He gives her a smile, a small nod, and mouths at her to go. Feeling as though a large weight has lifted, removing the anxiousness of the entire situation, Andy smiles in return, her left arm looping through Traci Nash's offered right arm and turning in the opposite direction.

…

 _Yes, I apologise. I've finished school for nearly a month and have yet to actually sit down and look at the last part of this. But I do have excuses. So now that I have a general idea of my regular work roster, this may actually be finished in a semi-decent time frame._

 _I say_ _may_ _because I'll probably just call in sick and sleep for a month. Maybe._

 _Just one more after this, and then we'll see what happens from there!_

 _Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


	9. Chapter 9

**For You.  
Words: **764 **  
Couple:** Nick Collins and Andy McNally **  
TV Show:** Rookie Blue **  
Disclaimer:** All characters and quotes you recognize do not belong to me. **  
AU Post 4x13.  
Established Nick/Andy.**

…

Andy wakes up the next morning with her face tucked into Nick Collins' neck and his arm holding her securely against him. The fabric of the couch is rubbing against her side where her shirt had risen during the night, letting the cool breeze from an open window hit her skin. With each breath the man beneath her takes, the rise and fall of his chest pushes her torso up, then brings it back down.

She doesn't remember making it to the couch the night before, everything was fuzzy from the time they left the hospital, leaving Oliver Shaw alone with Swarek and Celery for company. There's faint glimpses of Nick as he drove, his hand holding hers on his thigh; him carrying her out of the truck and into the house. But everything else is blank.

Lifting her head, Andy spies the watch on Nick's wrist, telling her it's too early to fathom possible explanations for their place on the couch. Too early to fathom doing anything else but sleep. Andy is awake, and becoming restless, carefully extracting herself from his hold and tip-toeing her way through the empty boxes that scatter the lounge room.

The hallway is no better, the emptied boxes folded and leaning against the wall, while other, still occupied boxes are making their home stacked one on top of the other and pushed up against doors and cupboards. Andy finds herself stumbling through these ones, feeling as though she is far enough away from the lounge room that she will no longer awake the man still lying on the couch.

Her hands blindly feel a wall inside a doorway for a switch, squinting her eyes as the fluorescent light brightens the small tile haven. Andy takes time to adjust, moving to the toilet seat and putting the lid down before she sits. The bottom of her palm digging into her eyes as she tries to force some semi-balance of awareness as she watches the colours dance behind her eyelids.

It had not been even 24 hours yet, and it would not be over for another 24. IA would expect second rounds of statements when everyone arrived at the precinct the next day, trying to understand who, what, why and how.

Who was Kevin Ford after?

What was he doing kidnapping police officers?

Why was he so certain that 15th Division had wronged him?

How did he enter the precinct unnoticed?

And at this moment, sitting on the toilet in a barely unpacked house, Andy McNally couldn't think of any straight answers to give. There wasn't going to be an answer in the world that could explain her part in this away, and all she wanted was it to just stop.

She should never have forged that log book, there would be too many questions now that this had all happened. She should never have listened to Sam Swarek when he said he would deal with it, because it was obvious he was not _dealing with it_. She should never have let herself get so caught up in this.

Knowing that everything had been done, and there was nothing left to do but wait, Andy opens her eyes and moves her hands from her face. She finds a sleepy Nick Collins leaning against the bathroom door, wiping sleep from his eyes with a smile.

"Did I wake you?"  
He shakes his head, moving into the bathroom and slowly lowering himself to the floor infront of her, "I lost my human radiator, it may have gotten cold."

Andy shrugs, smiling hands dropping to his shoulders as he leans his forehead against her knee. They sit in silence for a few minutes, one hand moving to his hair, her fingers moving through it softly. She listens to his breaths, long and deep as he tries to breathe through the pain from his ribs.

"We should have that talk."  
"Tomorrow?" he murmurs, lifting his head to meet her eyes.  
"We have to go in tomorrow," Andy tells him.  
"After that."  
Smiling a little wider, Andy moves the hand on his shoulder to cup his cheek, "For the record, Nicholas Collins, I really wouldn't mind having your child."

She receives a whispered 'good', and he turns his head in her hands to kiss her palm. In wordless agreement they both stand, Nick's hand flicking the light switch as they make their way out of the bathroom.

Of everything that had occurred in the last year, Andy McNally was certain that this was one of her better decisions. She would bet her career on it.

…

 _Just a quick post-episode snippet to tie it off, and we're done!_

 _Thank you to everyone who favourited/followed/reviewed as we went on this AU journey together, even to that one anonymous reviewer who was adamant that Andy is the worst person ever, and I do hope to go on another journey like this with you sometime in the future._

 _Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_

 _All mistakes are mine._

 _Review?_


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